We didn’t have to wait too long for the unveiling of the highly anticipated Better Luck Tomorrow. The brainchild of James Beard Award-winning chefJustin Yu(of the recently-closed Oxheart) and cocktail veteran Bobby Heugel (Anvil Bar and Refuge, The Nightingale Room), the new neighborhood bar is bringing a unique experience to Houston’s cocktail scene, churning out inventive fare and libations in Dan Flavin-inspired surrounds.

“We’ll be offering our guests something different than what they’ve experienced at Anvil or Oxheart. This bar will be playful and lighthearted while continuing to execute at the highest level,” Yu said in an earlier press release.

In his first time partnering with a restaurant-level kitchen, Heugel and team are outfitting Better Luck Tomorrow’s drink menu with 10 hyper-seasonal, food-friendly cocktail concoctions. Various spirits are well represented in drinks such as Lucky Daquiri, crafted with rum, key lime, and raspberry; the Sleepy Floyd, a mix of reposado tequila, sherry, benedictine, and Chamomile; the Gibson made with gin, blanc vermouth, pear liqueur, and onion; and the Slick Watts — bourbon, sweet vermouth, Campari, crème de mure, and bitters.

Better Luck Tomorrow’s collection of cocktails

Also on-hand are a collection of wines and beers. Lookout for Better Luck Tomorrow’s weekly Break-Even wine selection, which will allow for by-the-glass pours of rare, high-end bottles every Sunday.

We can’t wait to get our hands on Yu’s accompanying food menu, which moves away from traditional bar bites, and instead features “food [Yu would] make for [himself] and friends on [his] day off.”

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We’re eyeing The Party Melt made with crispy cheese and caramelized onions; Not A Pizza topped with burrata, spring onions, and anchovy-garlic bagna cauda; charred spring squashes finished with herb dressing and green garlic; and the crispy chicken fried hot star-style, served with pickled cabbage.

The hotspot is now open seven days a week from 3:30 pm to 2 am. Better Luck Tomorrow, 544 Yale Street.